Row over Maken’s remark: Judge me by my work, says Smriti Irani

New Delhi: Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, who has been criticized by Congress leader Ajay Maken over her educational qualification, on Thursday made an earnest appeal to the people of the country to judge her by work.

“Judge me by my work, I would only say this,” she told the media here.

Irani further said attempts have been made in the past to deviate her attention from work and lauded the BJP leadership for assigning her the new responsibility.

Taking a jibe at Modi’s decision to allocate the portfolio of HRD Ministry to Irani, Congress leader Ajay Maken had earlier on Tuesday said that she is ‘not even a graduate’.

“What a Cabinet of Modi? HRD Minister (Looking after Education) Smriti Irani is not even a graduate! Look at her affidavit at ECI site pg 11,” Maken wrote on Twitter.

In her affidavit filed before the Election Commission, Irani has stated her last education as Bachelor of Commerce Part-1, School of Open Learning (Correspondence), University of Delhi-1994.

Irani's biodata at the Rajya Sabha website states ‘Educated at Holy Child Auxilium, Delhi and School of Correspondence and Continuing Education, University of Delhi, Delhi.’

Maken also said that the 45-member ministry was lackluster and lacked regional balance as well as administrative experience.

He said that the ministry can in no way be compared to the Congress-led UPA-I Cabinet, which had ministers like Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram, Natwar Singh, Arjun Singh, Shivraj Patil and Sharad Pawar.

The BJP leadership, however, defended Irani on Wednesday and said the Congress leaders should leave their ‘arrogance’ behind after the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha polls and introspect.

"We want to advise Congress leaders that after country's people rejected them in Lok Sabha elections, they should now leave their arrogance behind and introspect," BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

He said the party was defeated in elections due to the "arrogance" of Congress leaders but they are still not ready to leave their arrogance.

"Congress leaders should now stop using abusive words against BJP leaders. Congress should respect the mandate of the people," he said.

Another BJP leader Santosh Gangwar said he wants to ask Congress how educated was its president Sonia Gandhi.

"I want to ask Congress how educated is Sonia Gandhi," Gangwar said.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had also voiced his support for Irani and said someone needs to be educated to be the

HRD Minister is like saying one needs to be a pilot for the Civil Aviation portfolio.

“To say that someone needs to be educated to be HRD Min is like saying one needs to be a pilot for Civil Aviation or a miner for Coal Min,” Omar Tweeted on Wednesday.